Associations between sleep and lifestyle behaviours among Australian nursing students: A cross-sectional study

BackgroundNursing students are at risk of inadequate sleep and poor lifestyle behaviours due to academic, clinical and personal stressors faced throughout their training. However, the relationship between lifestyle and sleep in this population is not well understood.AimThe aim of this study was to determine whether inadequate sleep was associated with poor diet, physical inactivity, alcohol consumption and smoking in Australian nursing students.MethodsUsing a cross-sectional design, nursing students (n = 470) completed an online questionnaire that assessed sleep and lifestyle behaviours. One-way ANOVA, t-tests, Pearson’s bivariate correlation and multiple regression testing were used to determine relationships between variables.FindingsMost nursing students experienced inadequate sleep (78%). Patterns of irregular eating, increased intake of discretionary foods, high-risk alcohol consumption and smoking were associated with indicators of inadequate sleep (p < 0.05). Frequent lunch intake (4–7 times per week) was associated with lower global sleep quality scores than irregular lunch intake (β: ?1.060, 95% confidence interval ?2.022, ?0.099), whereas alcohol score was associated with higher global sleep quality scores (β: 0.088, 95% confidence interval 0.011, 0.165) indicating poorer quality sleep, even after adjusting for confounding variables. No significant associations were found between sleep parameters and level of physical activity.ConclusionThis study highlights that nursing students experience inadequate sleep, and that poor lifestyle behaviours were associated with inadequate sleep in this sample. Strategies are needed to address inadequate sleep and poor lifestyle behaviours in nursing students, to support health, academic and clinic performance, as well as the transition to professional nursing practice.     

Emotional intelligence: its relationship to stress, coping, well-being and professional performance in nursing students

Emotional intelligence (EI) has been highlighted as an important theoretical and practical construct. It has the potential to enable individuals to cope better and experience less stress thus contributing to a healthy and stable workforce. The study aimed to explore the EI of nursing students (n=130, 52.0%) and its relationship to perceived stress, coping strategies, subjective well-being, perceived nursing competency and academic performance. Students were on the adult pathway of a nursing diploma or degree programme in one Higher Education Institution (HEI) in the United Kingdom (UK). A prospective correlational survey design was adopted. Three methods of data collection were used: i) A self-report questionnaire; ii) an audit of students' academic performance; and iii) mapping of EI teaching in the curricula. Emotional intelligence was positively related to well-being (p<0.05), problem-focused coping (p<0.05) and perceived nursing competency (p<0.05), and negatively related to perceived stress (p<0.05). The findings suggest that increased feelings of control and emotional competence assist nursing students to adopt active and effective coping strategies when dealing with stress, which in turn enhances their subjective well-being. This study highlights the potential value of facilitating the EI of students of nursing and other healthcare professions.     

本科实习护生情绪智力与胜任力的相关性研究

目的探讨本科实习护生情绪智力水平对胜任力的影响,为提高本科实习护生临床护理能力提供参考。方法采用情绪智力量表和护士胜任力量表对哈尔滨市3所医院的本科实习护生428人进行调查。结果本科实习护生情绪智力量表条目总均分为(3.91±0.51)分,胜任力量表条目总均分为(3.24±0.46)分;本科实习护生情绪智力总分及自我情绪评估、自我情绪运用、他人情绪评估、自我情绪调整4个维度得分均与胜任力得分呈正相关(P0.01或P0.05);其中,自我情绪运用和他人情绪评估为胜任力的主要影响因素(P0.01)。结论本科实习护生情绪智力与胜任力密切相关,通过提高本科实习护生的情绪智力水平,促进其临床实习胜任能力,以便培养临床护理实用性人才。     

Hand hygiene education of Greek medical and nursing students: A cross-sectional study

AimTo investigate medical and nursing students’ education on hand hygiene, their attitude on hand hygiene education and how this education influences their hand hygiene knowledge and practices.BackgroundHospital-acquired infections are associated with prolonged hospitalisation and mortality. The most effective measure for their control is healthcare workers’ hand hygiene compliance. Since medical and nursing students constitute the future healthcare workers, our study focuses on them.DesignCross-sectional studyMethodsThis study was conducted during the academic year 2016–2017, using a modified World Health Organisation questionnaire. Our sample consisted of 132 medical and 111 nursing students from National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece. In data analysis, the Mann-Whitney and Fisher’s exact tests were applied to compare differences in continuous variables and proportions in categorical variables, respectively. Knowledge and practices overall scores were calculated per student group. Multiple linear regression analyses were performed to assess the influence of potential confounders on these scores.ResultsWe found that 73.1% of medical and 98.2% of nursing students had received relevant education, which was reported as “only theoretical” by 77.4% of the former and as “hands-on and theoretical” by 88.1% of the latter group. Besides the risk of infection, knowledge acquired in lectures and trainer’s behaviour were also considered very influential factors shaping hand hygiene attitude in both groups. Overall, medical students reported better hand hygiene practices than nursing ones (69.9% and 59.7%, respectively; p < 0.001). The opposite finding was observed regarding their overall knowledge on hand hygiene (57.2% of medical versus 60.4% of nursing students, p = 0.04). The majority of students (86.6% of all participants; p < 0.001) supported the inclusion of compulsory hand hygiene education in their curriculum. Compulsory education and seminars were assessed as the most effective measures to increase hand hygiene compliance (71.4% of all students).ConclusionIn our study, medical students scored better in practices questions than nursing students; this did not apply for the knowledge score. The majority of students supported the inclusion of compulsory education on hand hygiene principles in their Departments’ curricula, highlighting compulsory education and seminars as the most effective measures to increase compliance with hand hygiene.     

The effect of digitalization on the career intentions of nursing students: A cross-sectional study

AimWe investigate how the confirmation of expectations about digital technology in the workplace affects the career intentions of nursing students. We also explore the role of task fit in mediating (1) digital technology satisfaction and job satisfaction and (2) digital technology satisfaction and career intentions.BackgroundThe turnover of graduating geriatric nursing students is very high and rising. To support the work of nursing staff, elderly care institutions are beginning to adopt digital technologies that aid in nursing tasks. However, it is unclear whether students’ perceptions of those digital technologies have an impact on their career intentions.DesignThis is a cross-sectional study.MethodsWe recruited 549 geriatric nursing students. Data were collected from December 2022 to March 2023. The questionnaire included seven sections: expectation confirmation, perceived usefulness, perceived safety, digital technology satisfaction, task fit, job satisfaction and career intentions. The validity and reliability of the model were confirmed.ResultsThe results show that the confirmation of students’ expectations for the digital technology used in elderly care services has a positive impact on their career intentions. However, the results do not confirm the impact of perceived security on digital technology satisfaction, or the effect of job satisfaction on career intentions.ConclusionElderly care institutions and educators should monitor the current state of the digital work environment to ensure that it can adequately support students in their work. They should ensure the use of advanced and appropriate technology tools in teaching and clinical environments to provide a richer and more vivid learning experience. These initiatives can support nursing students in their transition from school to practice and increase their willingness to stay in the profession.     

护理专业学生情绪智力现状及分析

目的了解护理专业在校学生的情绪智力状况。方法采用问卷调查法对两所学校护理专业不同学历层次学生的情绪智力进行了调查。结果收回有效问卷233份,护理专业学生的情绪智力总体水平不高,情绪智力得分上,专科护生得分最高,本科护生次之,中专护生最低（P〈0．01）。结论应加强护生情绪智力的培养。     

The impact of professional identity on role stress in nursing students: A cross-sectional study

BackgroundAs newcomers to the clinical workplace, nursing students will encounter a high degree of role stress, which is an important predictor of burnout and engagement. Professional identity is theorised to be a key factor in providing high-quality care to improve patient outcomes and is thought to mediate the negative effects of a high-stress workplace and improve clinical performance and job retention.ObjectivesTo investigate the level of nursing students' professional identity and role stress at the end of the first sub-internship, and to explore the impact of the nursing students' professional identity and other characteristics on role stress.DesignA cross-sectional study.SettingsThree nursing schools in China.ParticipantsNursing students after a 6-month sub-internship in a general hospital (n = 474).MethodsThe Role Stress Scale (score range: 12–60) and the Professional Identity Questionnaire for Nursing students (score range: 17–85) were used to investigate the levels of nursing students' role stress and professional identity. Higher scores indicated higher levels of role stress and professional identity. Basic demographic information about the nursing students was collected. The Pearson correlation, point-biserial correlation and multiple linear regression analysis were used to analyse the data.ResultsThe mean total scores of the Role Stress Scale and Professional Identity Questionnaire for Nursing Students were 34.04 (SD = 6.57) and 57.63 (SD = 9.63), respectively. In the bivariate analyses, the following independent variables were found to be significantly associated with the total score of the Role Stress Scale: the total score of the Professional Identity Questionnaire for Nursing Students (r = −0.295, p < 0.01), age (r = 0.145, p < 0.01), whether student was an only child or not (r = −0.114, p < 0.05), education level (r = 0.295, p < 0.01) and whether student had experience in community organisations or not (r = 0.151, p < 0.01). In the multiple linear regression analysis, the total score of the Professional Identity Questionnaire for Nursing Students (standardised coefficient Beta: −0.260, p < 0.001), education level (standardised coefficient Beta: 0.212, p < 0.001) and whether or not student had experience in community organisations (standardised coefficient Beta: 0.107, p < 0.016) were the factors significantly associated with the total score of the Role Stress Scale. The multiple linear regression model explained 18.2% (adjusted R² scores 16.5%) of the Role Stress Scale scores variance.ConclusionsThe nursing students’ level of role stress at the end of the first sub-internship was high. The students with higher professional identity values had lower role stress levels. Compared with other personal characteristics, professional identity and education level had the strongest impact on the nursing students’ level of role stress. This is a new perspective that shows that developing and improving professional identity may prove helpful for nursing students in managing role stress.     

Predictors of negative attitudes toward Indigenous Australians and a unit of study among undergraduate nursing students: A mixed-methods study

Indigenous people are the most disadvantaged population within Australia. The Bachelor of Nursing program at a large university in Western Sydney embedded Indigenous health into the undergraduate teaching program. This paper reviews the negative responses received towards course content on evaluation of the Indigenous health unit and explores the predictors for the negative attitudes towards Indigenous Australians. Two surveys were used (baseline and follow-up) to: 1. Determine the main predictors for negative attitudes towards Indigenous people and; 2. Explore students' perceptions of the educational quality of the Indigenous health unit. The surveys allowed collection of socio-demographic, academic data and included the 18 item ‘Attitude Toward Indigenous Australians’ (ATIA) scale and open-ended responses. Students who were: 1. Overseas born, 2. Enrolment category: International student and; 3. Whose primary source of information about Indigenous Australians were the media and school were significantly more likely to have higher negative attitudes towards Indigenous Australians. Qualitative data revealed some unfavourable comments dismissing the value and educational quality of the content within the Indigenous health unit. Community engagement is paramount to enhancing the student experience. Movement away from media driven ‘hype’ to an educated perspective is necessary to create an accurate portrayal of the Indigenous community.